Research on the Impact of Media Credibility on Risk Perception of COVID-19 and the Sustainable Travel Intention of Chinese Residents Based on an Extended TPB Model in the Post-Pandemic Context

Qiong Dang
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Qiong Dang: School of Journalism and Communication, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 14, 1-16

Abstract: This study is the first to examine the impact of media credibility on the sustainable travel intention of Chinese residents in the post-pandemic context. Specifically, the mechanisms by which media credibility influenced the sustainable travel intentions of Chinese residents through risk perception are studied. This study developed an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) model and used a structural equation model (SEM) to analyze the 1219 valid samples received from online questionnaires. The results revealed that media credibility has a negative impact on risk perception of COVID-19 in the post-pandemic context. This suggested that trusted media, messages, and information sources can reduce the risk perception of COVID-19 when individuals contemplate travel. Risk perception negatively affects subjective norms, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control, while these three variables positively influence sustainable travel intention. Significantly, subjective norms have a stronger impact on the sustainable travel intention of Chinese residents than the remaining variables, demonstrating that, in a collective society, an individual’s intention to travel is more susceptible to influence by government sanctions as well as the unsupported opinions of their family and friends. This study makes up for the lack of focus on the media in sustainable tourism research and provides novel insights for future studies.

Keywords: media credibility; risk perception of COVID-19; sustainable travel intention; SEM; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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